Rotana Media Group CEO announces plan to nurture local talent

Rotana Media Groupis the world's largest producer of Arabic music and a key distributor and producer of Arabic movies, with a library comprising more than 1,600 movies. “Rotana Studios” is likewise considered the biggest producer of Arabic Blockbusters, and Rotana also owns a bouquet of leading free-to-air TV channels in both HD and SD. In a recent speech at the “Asbar World Forum”, the CEO of Rotana group, Mr. Turki al Shabanah proposed a plan that would focus and elevate the future of Saudi media production.

Rotana is well-known for supporting the ongoing development and growth of the Arab TV and film-making industry, and it remains committed to empowering and enabling a new generation of Saudi producers, directors, scriptwriters and actors.

‘We will nurture local talent in Saudi Arabia and develop the country’s creative thinkers’. The CEO of Rotana Media Group, Mr. Turki Al Shabana, told an audience of leading CEOs and government officials at the Asbar World Forum about its new initiative to support young Saudi graduates in the field of media production.

Working with a predominantly young and talented Saudi workforce, the media group has turned ideas into reality for the budding entertainment industry in Saudi Arabia. Rotana produced the first Oscar nominated Saudi movie Wadjda, which was released in 2012, and supported the inaugural Saudi Film Festival. As the country moves towards opening more cinemas and expanding its media production industry – Rotana is playing a key role in helping young people to build and grow their skill set in this field.

Mr. Shabana was a special guest at the Asbar World Forum in Riyadh, where he proposed Rotana’s latest idea – to support and develop young Saudis who are pursuing a career in media production.

Speaking at the forum, Mr. Shabana said: “Every year, Rotana receives a significant number of creative ideas and projects from young Saudi talent. While many of these ideas have great promise, most of them lack any basic foundation. "Therefore, the Rotana Media Group wants to work with the General Organization of Small and Medium Enterprises to improve and develop these ideas into solid, successful films of the future. We believe that this will help to attract significant investment for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

In May 2016, the Saudi government created the new General Entertainment Authority. In September 2017, the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, announced a new company, capitalized with $2.7 billion, to invest in entertainment. The PIF aims to create more than 22,000 jobs in Saudi Arabia by 2030, as well as serve more than 50 million visitors annually and contribute some SR8bn to the economy.